THE AMERICA'S CUP 2007 TIMELINE - PART 1
The very ornate America's Cup and The Louis Vuitton Cup
The most famous and prestigious regatta and match race in the sport of sailling, The America’s Cup is in addition, the oldest trophy in international sport, predating the Modern Olympics by 45 years. Affectionately referred to as the “ Auld Mug ” by the sailing community and considered the “ Holy Grail ” of yachting, the competition is a contest encompassing not only a tactical approach to sport but boat and sail design, fundraising and management skills. Originally known as The Royal Yacht Squadron Cup, it was eventually named after the first yacht to win the trophy, the schooner America. Indeed a very apt name since the trophy remained in the hands of the United States from 1852 until 1983 when it was won by the challenger, Australia II thus ending the longest winning streak in the history of sport. Dennis Connor did win it back again for the United States with Stars and Stripes and The San Diego Yacht Club then took two consecutive victories until The late and much-missed Peter Blake and Team New Zealand repeated the feat of their predecessors, Bill Koch and Harry Melges. And then, the unexpected happened in 2003 when the trophy fell into the hands of the Swiss-based syndicate, Alinghi.
2003
Mar 2 Team Alinghi wins the America’ Cup to bring the Auld Mug to Europe for only the first time in its’ 152 year history
Mar 3 ...and announces the creation of AC Management as the event authority for the 32nd America’s Cup
Nov 26 Following a rigorous selection process, ACM reveals Valencia as the Host City for 2007. Chosen for its’ reliable weather patterns which will assist in ensuring
that races start on time, the city then plans to transform the commercial port area into a dedicated race village
Port America's Cup and America's Cup Park
The Endesa Light Show
Presentation of the teams
Tom Cruised In

In partnership with Endesa, Group Santander, Alcatel and Ford, Louis Vutton is announced as the Principal Partner for the 32nd America’s Cup.
2004
Challenges are issued and accepted and the official teams and potential challengers meet with ACM to exchange ideas for the contest in Valencia
There are to be 13 Acts, each Act consisting of fleet and match races fought out over the course of three years culminating in the the Louis Vuitton Cup which precedes the final that is the America’s Cup when the challenger, being the team that wins the Louis Vuitton Cup meets the defender, Team Alinghi for the biggest prize of all.
MARSEILLE Loius Vuitton Act 1 – The Beginning
The protagonists – Team Alinghi, BMW ORACLE Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand ( ETNZ ), LE DEFI, K-Challenge and Team Shosholoza
Six teams from five nations compete in the waters off Marseille.
After an event combining fleet and match racing, the team from the United States, BMW ORACLE takes the laurels.
Close racing
Larry Ellison and Chris Dickson celebrate victory in Act 1
VALENCIA Louis Vuitton Act 2 - The Match Races
The protagonists – Team Alinghi, BMW ORACLE, ETNZZ, K-Challenge, LE DEFI, Team Shosholoza, +39 Challenge and Luna Rossa
Luna Rossa and Team Alinghi
Following the conclusion of Act 1, ETNZ suffer a setback when their boat is damaged. There is a possibility that they may not even compete at the next event when the decision is taken to fly a spare boat up from New Zealand and work furiously at ready the replacement boat to competition standard. Yet the Kiwis take the Act 2 against all odds. Italian Team Luna Rossa while absent at Marseille turn in a creditable effort to place second. An unexpected downturn in fortune sees BMW ORACLE, the clear winners of Act 1 finishing in third. It was close and while Luna Rossa looked to edge it, ETNZ it was who stole it. In the words of ORACLE’s skipper Chris Dickson “ they got the win, they deserve the win ”
ETNZ down but not out
Fighting Back
The spoils of victory
The biggest surprise though was the fourth place finish of Team Alinghi. What surprises would lie in store in Act 3?
VALENCIA Louis Vuitton Act 3 - The Fleet Races
The Protagonists – As above
With racing conditions less than favourable in the form of wind shifts, both in speed and direction it became a difficult day for the first fleet races.
Alinghi and ETNZ do battle again
With the racing split over four days, there was sure to be changes of leadership
Day 1 – Races 1 and 2
ETNZ take the first race having picked up an enormous lift on their side of the course while following a windless spell, Alinghi just slips into first place ahead of ETNZ in Race 2
The result left ETNZ clear ahead on the leaderboard ahead of Alinghi and Luna Rossa
Day 2 – Races 3 and 4
Alinghi shows its mettle as the defender of the America’s Cup by winning one race and showing well in the other to take the series lead
Day 3 – Racing is abandoned as strong winds blow into the Gulf of Valencia. Racing under these conditions was rightly deemed too dangerous so Alinghi retains their lead
Day 4 – Races 5 and 6
Tough conditions again ensued during the course of Race 5 but Chris Dickson’s BMW ORACLE won comfortably from K-Challenge and Alinghi. ETNZ fell back to fifth, allowing the Swiss team to open a three-point gap in the points table for Act 3.
For the first time thus far in the competition, the teams enjoyed perfect conditions in Race 6 as Alinghi slipped into a short-lived lead.
ETNZ once again took control as the teams converged on the leeward gate with a narrow but secure lead to the finish
The season ends with defender Alinghi and ETNZ sharing the spoils, Alinghi claiming Louis Vuitton Act 3 and ETNZ, the championship for 2004
At season’s end, two more teams, El Reto and Victory Challenge, representing Spain and Sweden respectively had their challenges accepted. They join BMW ORACLE Racing, +39 Challenge, Team Shosholoza, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa and K-Challenge in the battle to face Alinghi going into Louis Vutton Acts 4 to 9 for the 2005 year of competition.
Pictures - Stefano Gattini, Carlo Borlenghi, Guido Trombetta, Guido Cantini, Francesco Ferri, Thomas Martinez and ACM
THE 2005 SEASON
The second competitive season of the 2007 America’s Cup campaign involved a wider range of teams as Germany and China fielded entries in company with a third Italian team. Mazcalzone Latino-Capitalia joined United Internet Team Germany and Team China making the 32nd America’s Cup the most diverse in its’ history. Competition for the 12 teams would take place in Valencia, on Swedish waters at Malmo-Skane and in Trapani in Sicily.
VALENCIA Louis Vuitton Acts 4 and 5
With Peter Holmberg at the helm, Alinghi stormed through the match races of the opening Act of the season. A perfect 11-0 record in the event. Their expected challengers Team New Zealand and BMW Oracle would have had almost perfect runs themselves but for Alinghi. It seems at that juncture that Alinghi running SUI75 still held a speed advantage which they had shown at the 31st America’s Cup. At the close of proceedings though, it was Alinghi from ETNZ and BMW ORACLE.
ETNZ threw everything it had at Alinghi
but SUI75 withstood every challenge
while ETNZ and BMW ORACLE must have felt they were going round in circles
In the fleet race seen here at the start
United Internet Team Germany impressed greatly on its’ debut by exceeding its’ target of one win. It took three!!
Another star is born as Victory Challenge from Sweden, seen here to the starboard of Desafio Espanol and Luna Rossa
came from obscurity to beat all the low and mid-level challengers and was even on track to finish top of the table in Act 5 when a protest on technical grounds saw them disqualified from one race, thus dropping it to fifth place.
Finally, it was Luno Rosso that eventually emerged triumphant in the fleet racing series with Alinghi in close touch.
Pictures - Carlo Borlenghi and ACM
Next up – The America’s Cup goes travelling
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